Check-row planter.



S. L. GOODIN.

CHECK ROW.PLANTER. APPLICATION man ma. n. |915.

aftented June 125, 2.91?.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

NVENTOR,

#a1/wey S. L. GODIN.

CHECK ROW PLANTER.

APPLICATxoN rxLEn ma. u. 191s.

, Patented June 12, 1917.

2 SHEETS--SHEET 2.

YMMMLG@ I INVENTOR,

ONE-HALF T AUGUST F.

Specification of Letters Patent.

application filed February 11, 1916. Serial No. 77,752.

i o all wiwi/a may concern.:

lie it known that l, SEBASTIAN li. Gooniiv,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Farber, in the county of Audrain and State of it ssouri, have invented a new and useful Check-Row ilanter, of which the follmving a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in wireless check row devices, adapted for application to planters, drills, and the like,

, and designed for the purpose of eliminating the necessity of using the usual check wire, which is now commonly employed, and whieh requires considerable time and skill in placing and removing the wire at fre-v quent intervals.

The present invention has for an object to provide a check row device wherein marker wheels are employed for engageA ment in'the ground to rotate therein, and

upon a shaft independent of the main. shaft of the implement, and to mount on the implement an adjusting mechanism for connection with the marker shaft, so as to rotate the same, and turn the two markers thereon in the desired adjusted position at the end of a row, and admit of this adjustment without disturbing the relation of the parts of the implement.

il further object of the invention is to provide markers which are so spaced apart that the distance between rhein is suhstantially twice the distance between the main wheels of the implement, so that when the implement is turned at the endof a row, 'the maras in the ground, produced h v the markers, may he talien as guides for setting markers in the return of l machine, so that the proper registration' of the seed fflropping insured.

The invention still further aims at the provision of means for mounting the marker shaft adj ustahly upon the runner frame of a corn planter, so that the markers may he raised and lowered with respect to the runners, and so that when the runners elevated or lowered during the use of the ma. chine, the markers are simultaneously raised and lowered, and held in their adjusted position with respect to the runners. By

this peculiar mounting of the marker shaft, the usual handle and other operating means which control. the runners will also control the position of the markers, when they are adjusted to the runner frame. This feature of the invention also embodies the positionn ing of the marker shaft in vertical alinement over the discharge end of the boot, so that the markers may oe accurately adjusted to indicate when the seed is dropped.- l j Other objects and 'advantages of thisinvention will appear from the following disclosure of the presentpreferred embodiment Aof the invention, which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of a corn planter having the improved wireless check row device mounted thereon.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a detail rear elevational view of the runner frame, showing the seed plate shaft, and the check shaft mounted thereon, and showing in-section the marker shaft and the improved bearings or supports therefor.

Il is a detail plan view of the check shaft, showing a portion of the marker shaft and the tsppet carried thereby.

llig. is a detail side elevational view,

parti v in section, of one of the boots, show-4 ingthe mounting of the marker shaft di `ectlv over the discharge end of the hoot.

lug. l) is a detail view of the adjusting handle and mechanism for adjusting the markers.

Fig. i" is a detail perspective view of the mounting for the marker shaft, which is carried upon the rear end of each hoot.

Referring to the drawings, whereinlike parts are designated by similar numerals of reference throughout the several views, 10 designates the frame of a standard corn planter, provided with the usual drive'axle 11, upon the outer ends of which are mounted the wheels 12. The rear end of the brackets 13.in 'which is mounted a transverse scraper shaft 14, having Scrapers 15 upon its ends adapted to hear against the wheels 12, when actuated hv the foot lever 16, which is carried at one side of the frame 10. The foot lever 16 is connected by rod 17 in the usual manner to the scraper shaft lll, shown. rlhe frame 10 constitutes the main frame, and at its forward. end is hinged aria hy pins to the runner frame. The runner frame compri es a transverse bar l5) pro vided with spared apart rearwardly extending arms 20 seein-ed by the pins t8 to the driving frame. and having their forward ends connected adjustablyv to the braces 21, which support therebetween the tongue The tongue extends to the eross bar l), and is provided at its under side with a rearwardlyy extending arm to the rear end oi' whieh is seeured the lower end of a eonipression spring rlhe main frame l0 is provided 'forwardly oll the drive axle 'll with a transverse rod 25, upon whieh is hiiigedly mounted an operating lever 2l). This operating lever eoniprisesl a easting` having a pair ot rear 'ardlv extending arms i?? terminatiiig in outwardly turned tread portions to serve as a toot rest and assist in swinging the operatinglever it. rthe torward end oli' the rasting ol this operating lever has a lug 2l) to whieh is secured the upper end olf the compression spring 2l, 'l`hns, the rear end ol the tongue 22 is eonneeted 'to the operating lever. The arms 2T have secured adjustablv therebetween the rear end ot a oonipensating link Il() hingedly seeured at its end to a connecting rod -'l,

which extends forwardly beneath the op-- erating Vlever to a point ben ath the rear end ol? the tongue 22, and is hingtal thereat to the lower end olf a hanger $2 depei'uling` from the arm '23. An equalizing spring 33 is seeured at its rear end to said hanger and at its forward end to a lug ill projecting dow n wardll,7 troni the tongue '.l`his e uial';.ing spring may be :uljusted by mrans o't' the threaded bolt eonneeting the torward end 0'1" the spring 33 to the lug f-fla lt is thus seen that the runner traine is hinged to the n'iavin frame. that the compression spring Q-'l resists the upward n'iovement o'l the trames, and that the edualixing spring` Si resists the downward. movement.

lVhen the operating lever 3H is adjusted, the springs vieldinglv hold the l'ranu-s in the desired position. A\ .seat post 23o rises 'lroin the transverse rod 25 between the arnis 27 ot the operating lever. 'l`he seat post has a iliorwardlyv exteluling rark or segment T to seeure the handle aa in position when the operating lever is adjusted.

F llheiunner traine. wllieli inav be designated as a whole as l)` has near its opposite ends the. depending` runnersl 23) at the rear ends ol' which are loealed the vertirally arranged boots lll. lt will be noted that the boots l() ineline rearwardly at a slight angle and this usual eonstruelion is taken advantage oli` as will be. hereinafter set tortill. "l`he usual seed eans ll are mounted on op o'l'A the boots and provided with the, usual Iseed seleeting and dro]' pin.g nieehanisni. 'lhe nieehanisn'is ot each boot are joined by an upper transverse ,sr-ed plate sha lt Al?, adapted mees/.1 1

to rotate the seed plates in the usual manner. the shalt being` driven through r, variable drop clutch l-I'l, the rotating.;` part of which .is driven by a sprocket slet receiving` the drive chain thereover, which chain may he.

placed on any one of a number ot change speed sproelrets t6 keyed to the drive shaft lll.

rlhe runner frame is also provided with a cheek shaft 4:7 exteilding` transversely there'- aeross beneath the seed plate shaft l2, the eheelt shaft 4l? being suitably journaled in rearwardly extending arms t8 carried upon the outer extremities of the bar 19. il finger l) is mounted lier adjustment about the sha lit 4T at one end thereof, preferablyv 'the right hand end, as shown in Fig. l. An adjustable Cheek spring .3() is mounted on the bar il), extends rearwardly and engages a lug 5l upstanding trom the eheek shaft Lli' adjacent the intermediate portion thereof. "lhus, the eheet: sha-tt il? is held in one position by theuspringl 5() and is adapted to he roehed against the tension ol' the spring` by engagement ol. a tappet 52 against the linger 1li) at Certain predetermined intervals.

As shown in Fig. 5, the cheek shaft llpasses at eat-h end through the boot Ll0 and has a rearwardl \Y extending luglittng in a notvh 5-l1 torna-d upon the inner edge ot a valvev 55. rl'he valve 55 is hinged inthe boot and adapted to elose the upper end thereof. yi`he valve 55 is eonneeted by the usual rod 5() lo the. lower valve 5T. so as to alteri'iately open. and elose the uppe and lower valves 55 and di. and lhus eontrol the dropping ot' the seed. 'l'he upper end ol' the boot is Vprovided with the outstanding websl 5H in the usual ni a g.iner. and engaging beneath these webs 5o are the attarhing lugs 5) olE a. depending support nu. 'libe lugs 5.) arespaeed apart l'or engagement against the opposite sides ol' the boot and against the lower it'aees ot ille opposite, webs 5H. 'lille boot :ittu liing bolts l'd being employed lor seruring the support (lll in plat-e. .\s shown lo advantage in Vig. T. the support lill eoniprises a pair oll spared apart bars oll prel'erabl)Y angle eross seriiorn and having in their outer I'ares transverse registering serralions or teelll b2 adapted to interlit with the transverse .sei-rations or teeth lli-l liornied on the inner l'aee ol'v the base. [lange (-t ot a bearing rl`his bearing (35 extends transverseltY aeross the rear edge of the boot 4l). llaeh boot 'ltl has a. l saring (S5, and the bearings are adapted tor adjustment into .transverse alineinent to support therein ythe nafrlfer shal't (3o. 'l`he [lange (tl of the bearing G5 is seeured lo the support n() by clamping bolts (3T whieh passl inwardly through the ends ot' the flange (35 and through a vertieal slot formed in the support (30. The bolts are adapted to bind against the inner transverse `limiter; ol the bars and thus hold the heariii).

hand end, the tappet 52.

ing 65 rigidly to the support. loosening the bolts 67, it is readily seen that the base flanges Gl of the bearings may be moved out- War-'diy from the supports (30 to disengage the teeth 62 and 63, and to thus admit of the raising or lowering of the bearings into a new position. lt Will also be noted that by this mounting of the marker shaft 66, the same is carried upon the runner frame and is movable therewith into all the various adjusted positions of which the runner frame is capable, and Which are imparted to the runner frame by the adjustment of the operating lever 26. .t will also be noted that the marker shaft may be raised or loivered with respect to the runner frame, so that the relative positions of the marker shaft and the runner frame .may be varied, and iixed in their relatively adjusted positions. Also, the marker shaft and the runner frame are connected so that. when the same are .fixed together, they `move as a unit into various positions Without destroying their relative adjustment.

The marker shaft 6C is provided' upon its opposite ends with marker wheels or disks tdivhich may be of open wheel construction', as shown in the drawings, or may be of any other desired fo an. ln all forms, however, it is desirable to provide a peripheral cutting edge on each of the marker Wheels or disks; so that the same may penetrate the ground, and so that the earth, and other accumulations, will not adhere and be picked up by the marker Wheels in their rotation. rlhese marker Wheels have huh sleeves 70, en gaging overthe opposite ends of the marker shaft titl, and which are adapted to be xed upon the marker shaft by set screws 7l, or the like, so that the marker Wheels may be adjusted toward and from each other accordn ing to the desired use of the machine. The marker shaft 66 is adapted to be of such length that'when the marker Wheels G8 are secured upon the opposite outer ends of the shaft, the marker Wheels will be spaced apart a distance equal to twice the distance between the frame Wheels l2. The advantage of this arrangement is that after the planter has passed over a row, the planter may be turned around and one of the marker wheels be adjusted to register exactly with the surface indentzttions made in the lirst row to thus insure the proper registration in the dropping of the seeds in the second row, and other consecutive rows. It isthus seen that one row of marks is a check upon the second rovv,so that by this method the dropping ofthe seed is uniform over the entire field. The marker shaft 6G carries near its right Thetappetis in the forni of a double arm, the ends of which extend diametrically opposite from a hub 7 2 fixed by a set screw 73 to the marker shaft 66. IThe marker `Wheels 68 are each proposing the marker shaft (3G immediately alcove the outletend of the boot d0, as shown in Fig. '5, the marker la is in direct trans.- verse registration with the seed dropped and thus indicates clearly each dropping of the seed, and also admits of the relative easy adjustment of the marker wheels G8.

The transverse bar 19 of the runner frame has adjustably secured thereto, a rearwardly extending br cket arm 75. This bracket arm has journaled in its rear end, a vertically extending shaft 7G, provided with a collar 77 adjustable on the shaft beneath which is placedfa. coiled spring 78 surrounds the y ing the siaft and bearing at its lower end against the upper edge of the arm .75 to thus yieldingly'hold the shaft T6 in raised position. The lower end of the shaft carries a v beveled gear 'i9 fixed to the shaft to turn therewith and adapted for engagement at its upper Hat face against the lower edge of the arm 75 to limit the upward movement of the shaft. gear S0 lined thereon, as shoivn in Fig. ti, and which is of such size that it remains normally out of mesh With the bevelec gear 79, when the latter is raised. by the spring YS. A handle 8l is carried upon the upper end of the. shaft a convenient height to be grasped for the purpose of forcing the'shaft 7f3 downwardly through the arm 75 and against the tension of thc npring 7S, to lower the beveled gear 79 into inter-meshing relation with the beveled gear 80, and thiis ad mit of the rotation of the marker shaft 66 when the handle Sl is turned. By this means, the marker shaft (i6 with its marker rWheelsd may be turned into any desired position to correctly place the markers 74.

It is, of course, understood that the improveinents of the Wireless check roviT device above set forth may be applied to any type of machine, and to other machines than planters, wherein a check rower is required. it will also be understood that various changes and modifications may be made in the improvement to adapt the same to the various uses for which it is designed, such changes or modifications being restricted only by the scope of the following claims.

l/Vhat is claimed is:-

l. The combination with a planter having a main frame, a ruimer frame having boots and hinged to the main frame, and an ad justinglever connecting the two frames, of a marker shaft in vertical alinenient "with The marker shaft 66 hrs a beveled 

